Denver Seminary

ENGAGE 17 E.A. went to college because that was the practical thing to do. "Everybody has a dream that hangs out there loosely that they want to do after they secure a more practical trajectory," E.A. shared. But it wasn't just practicality that had E.A. studying psychology in college. The Lord was guiding her with each step—the relationships she developed, the classes she took, and even the sorority she joined. When one of her sorority sisters planned a short-term mission trip to Honduras in her sophomore year, E.A. jumped at the chance to be a part of it. While this particular trip focused on construction and various work projects, it was the opportunity her calling needed to grow roots. The trip provided an occasion to meet the ladies of Mi Esperanza—a nonprofit organization, based in Honduras that educates, employs, and empowers women to break out of the intergenerational poverty that plagues their communities. Mi Esperanza provides free classes in sewing, jewelry making, cosmetology, and more. The women pay only for their transportation to and from the classes. These women—both those learning to sew and those leading the organization—became new sisters to E.A. and played a critical role in her dream. That trip became the first of many. E.A. went back to Honduras to work with the ladies of Mi Esperanza every opportunity her college schedule would allow, including quick trips over her breaks. And she went down for months at a time as an intern during the summers. She went back to Honduras at least twice a year for the next several years, even as she moved into her master's program at Denver Seminary. "I felt called to seminary; it was just in my mind. Denver Seminary was unique because it allowed me to think from a clinical and a biblical perspective at the same time." ARROWROOT Between her first and second year of seminary, E.A. planned her wedding. This was when the roots of her calling finally burst to life. She flew down to Honduras to join the ladies of Mi Esperanza and asked them to outfit her entire wedding party. Within a couple weeks, the ladies had created her wedding gown, 10 bridesmaids' dresses, and the suits for her groom and all 10 groomsmen. "That was a light bulb for me. I thought, If we can do this with these wedding clothes, then we can do this with regular clothes too." Fast forward through her graduation from Denver Seminary in spring of 2013 to Christmas of that year. For months, E.A. and her husband had been praying and saving for plane tickets to Honduras to see if they could set up a clothing company. At her family's Christmas gathering in 2013, E.A. opened the present from her parents: two tickets to Honduras. The tickets were just the confirmation she and her husband needed. Soon after, Arrowroot was born. TAKE IT FROM HERE WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE WHEN THE LORD PLANTS THE FIRST SEED OF CALLING IN YOUR HEART? IT MAY BE JUST A FLICKER OF A VISION, BUT IT'S ONE WITH ETERNAL POSSIBILITIES. MOST CALLINGS NEED TIME TO GROW FROM THAT SEED INTO A MATURE PLANT THAT CAN PRODUCE LIFE. SUCH WAS THE CASE AS E.A. LEPINE LEARNED TO SEW IN HIGH SCHOOL, DREAMING OF A FUTURE IN CLOTHING DESIGN. Amanda Tromp

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